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Author
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Topic: Apollo 13: SPS engine condition and use
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Captain Apollo
Member Posts: 260
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 03-25-2009 05:09 PM
   
Any thoughts on whether Apollo 13's service propulsion system (SPS) engine could have fired for a direct return? Did the inquiry reach a conclusion on that? |
Fra Mauro
Member Posts: 1624
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 03-26-2009 08:07 AM
A direct return was never seriously considered. Since the amount of damage to the service module was not totally known but considered to be extensive, the risk was too high to even attempt to fire the engine. With the fuel cells gone, I wonder if there would be enough power to do so. |
Max Q
Member Posts: 399
From: Whyalla South Australia
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 03-29-2009 04:33 PM
Could the SPS have been remotely fired after capsule separation? That would have been interesting and might have answered a few questions also. |
ilbasso
Member Posts: 1522
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 03-29-2009 04:59 PM
My immediate reaction on reading that scenario was the crew firing up the SM, and only finding out on firing it that something was damaged in the steering, and then seeing the SM bearing down on the CM..."Ohhhhhhh [bleep]!!!!" |
Fra Mauro
Member Posts: 1624
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 03-29-2009 11:27 PM
There wasn't a great deal of time between SM sep and atmosphere interface to do such a test. Plus the fact that LM sep had to occur, the crew and Mission Control were pretty busy. Also, if the SM had exploded, what happens to the debris? All in all, bad scenario |
Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 04-02-2009 04:50 AM
There wouldn't have been any power left in the SM anyway. Only power left in the CSM were the batteries in the command module once the last of the cryo bled off, meaning the fuel cells would have been dead. So there would not have been any way to fire the SPS for such a test after SM sep. |
Klaatu
Member Posts: 60
From: England
Registered: Sep 2007
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posted 04-21-2009 05:35 AM
Impossible I know, but it would have been great if the SM could have been placed into a safe orbit. Maybe a future shuttle mission could have returned it to Earth. It would probably be on display now in the Smithsonian! |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1332
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 04-21-2009 01:04 PM
It's conjecture I know, but even if it were possible to put the CM into a safe earth orbit, I'm not so sure I would want to be on a shuttle recovering it it. Static electricity could set off any vapors. I don't think NASA would go for such a flight, even if they could do it. |
Max Q
Member Posts: 399
From: Whyalla South Australia
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 04-21-2009 11:06 PM
Agreed but just the thought of it, wow. |
Klaatu
Member Posts: 60
From: England
Registered: Sep 2007
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posted 04-22-2009 09:04 AM
Yeah Lou, you're probably right. I know we're only wishful thinking here, but maybe it would have been possible to wrap the whole thing up in a cover first to protect it from static, fumes, fuel, etc? Just a thought. |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1332
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 04-23-2009 10:27 AM
I must admit it would look neat in a museum. |
dtemple
Member Posts: 730
From: Longview, Texas, USA
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 09-25-2018 12:36 PM
Did engineers ever determine if the SPS of the Apollo 13 SM could have been used again after the explosion? Were tests conducted to learn if it would have fired properly, exploded, or not have even ignited?Editor's note: Threads merged. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 1488
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 09-25-2018 01:42 PM
There was no power available to operate it. There is not enough data to know what would happen if it could have be fired if there was power. quote:
Originally posted by Klaatu:
Impossible I know, but it would have been great if the SM could have been placed into a safe orbit.
No, in many ways. - No power to operate engine
- No avionics to operate engine (they are in the CM)
- Not enough propellant to brake into earth orbit. S-IVB was needed to send the CSM/LM to the moon, something the near the same size to brake into LEO (SM was more than 45% total spacecraft mass)
- SM was not made be horizontal with fluids in it. So shuttle retrieval not feasible.
- SM did not have the proper valving for shuttle safety.
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